Just a couple of weeks ago, Cleveland Brown Donte' Stallworth was reinstated in to the NFL by Commissioner Roger Goodell, after serving a one-year suspension for manslaughter. On that same day, though, the Browns released him, making him a free agent. There wasn't necessarily a bidding war for Stallworth's services, so the Baltimore Ravens signed him to a one-year deal worth $900,000 with an additional $300,000 in incentives.

"There was a time I felt the mistake I made was the end of the world for me," Stallworth said in a statement. "I will never get that morning back. It weighs on me every day and will for the rest of my life. What I can do is move forward, try to be a better person, try to convince others not to do what I did and warn others about the dangers of drinking and driving. I have to show otherwise that what happened doesn't reflect who I am.

"I have to prove that, and, hopefully, I'm on my way to doing that. I know my apology will never be strong enough for some, but I've made changes, and I'm trying to be a positive influence. It's an honor and privilege to play in the NFL, and I'm so thankful for this opportunity."

Stallworth is only 29 and still has a good number of playing years ahead of him. The Ravens need to deepen their receiving corps and felt that Stallworth would be a good fit. Plus, the team wanted to give him the opportunity to redeem himself.

"We've given a lot of thought to this and we've done extensive research in to Donte' beyond football," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome told ESPN.com. "He made a huge mistake. There's no doubt about that. He has paid a significant price for that, and as he has said, he carries a heavy weight. As [Ravens owner] Steve [Bisciotti] has said, we believe in second chances, and Donte' does deserve that.

"But, we've signed him because we want to get better, and we think he has a chance to help us. We worked him out, and it's obvious he is working hard to be effective. We thought it was important to sign him now, because other teams were pursuing him and we want him in our offseason program, which starts next month."

With hope, this will be the start Stallworth needs to turn the page and start anew.